Artificial Nail System

ABSTRACT

An artificial fingernail system that consists of a base and an artificial nail. The base is affixed to the natural nail. The artificial nail is specially designed to mold to, and snap to, the affixed base. The artificial nail can be removed from the base and replaced with another artificial nail that is sized to fit the same base, with a different design, color, shape, or made from another material. This allows a user to literally change their fingernails from one design or color, to another design or color, in a matter of minutes. The artificial nail system reduces the amount of chemicals used, compared to other processes, which allows for a safer process.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to artificial fingernails and more specifically, a new way to apply, maintain, and replace artificial nails. This invention has two embodiments, a base, and an artificial nail, which allows the user to remove and replace one artificial nail with another artificial nail in a matter of minutes.

2. Background of the Invention

Women as opposed to men, predominately have worn artificial fingernails. The application of artificial fingernails started as symbol of wealth and only wealthy people could afford to wear them. Lengthening of ones nails was a symbol that the user did not have to labor, and therefore had time to take care of her nails. The process of applying artificial nails has changed over the years. What has not changed is that the artificial nail is still attached or adhered by some means to the natural nail. Sculptured nails use silk, linen, and fiber wraps. These wraps are cut in the shape and size of the natural nail and then glued to the natural nail. Silk is not very durable. Linen is not transparent making it look less natural. In order to change the color of the nail, the polish has to be removed with chemicals and new polish must be painted on. This means that the nail tech and the customer will inhale polish remover fumes, new polish fumes, and probably a clear polish fumes.

At its earliest stage, experiments and resultant artificial nails used a monomer and polymer mix. This mix was added onto the nail. A support form allowed it to extend beyond the end of the nail. When the structure hardened, and the support was removed, the nail would be shaped to look like a natural extension, which was coming from the nail plate. This process used chemicals known as the acrylics; however, the term acrylic nails have only stuck to the method of using liquid monomer and powder polymer. Another dilemma of acrylic nails is that they yellow with time. Going to the beach and going to the tanning bed exacerbates the yellowing.

If a user wants to remove or change her nails, the polymers and monomers have to be removed along with the artificial nail tip. To remove artificial nails, a cuticle nipper is used to nip away the dried acrylics, which can be a risky process, if one does not exercise caution.

Soon afterwards plastic nail shapes were then adapted to create the support for the acrylic structure. Not long after, various different tools were then created to assist the skills and processes of the nail industry.

Gel nails are another process that has been invented. Gel nails use a liquid gel or a powder. With this process an ultraviolet light must be used to set the gel, which exposes the user's hand to more ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet exposure has been linked to greater risks of getting skin cancer. Some users still complain that their nails will yellow.

Solar Nails is probably the latest invention. Probably, because some say they are still acrylics. It is a French nail using a pink acrylic and a white acrylic for the tip. The main disadvantage to all artificial fingernails is that they use chemicals or ultraviolet light to apply, and chemicals to remove.

The other problem with artificial nails is that they break, the polish chips, and if the nail gets hung it may damage the natural nail or the natural nail bed. Then the user has to go back to her nail tech to take care of the problem.

There have been many attempts to improve the application of artificial nails and reduce the harsh chemicals that are used. There have been many decorative devices to improve the appearance of artificial nails. There have only been a few attempts to make nails easily removable or replaceable. U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,100 to Chang discloses an ornamental accessory having a reusable pressure-sensitive adhesive layer pre-applied to the bottom surface of the artificial nail and bonding to the real nail using water to reactivate the adhesive. Like other methods, one still attaches the artificial nail to the real nail, and the artificial nail needs to be polished.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,217 to Coker discloses a process for fabricating custom fit removable and reusable false metal fingernails. This process involves making a mold, melting metal, and casting metal, and then finishing the false nail. This is a lengthy and complicated process, which would make the false fingernails very expensive to fabricate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventions relates to an artificial nail application that allows the user to quickly and easily change her nails, from one color to another color, or from one length to another length, or from one material to another material, without making another trip to the nail tech. The present invention comprises a base and an interchangeable artificial nail. The base is secured to the natural nail with a compatible adhesive; the corresponding compatible artificial nail is attached to the base by sliding and snapping the artificial nail in place by pushing it towards the cuticle. The artificial nail and the base appear to be one unit after the base and the artificial nail are snapped together. When the base is attached securely and solidly to the natural nail; the artificial nail feels securely in place after it is locked into the base.

The interchangeable artificial nail can be plastic injection molded with a colored high gloss plastic reducing the exposure to nail polish and nail polish remover that one encounters, lessening the chemical inhalation risk. The interchangeable artificial nail, allows the user to quickly change nails for multiple occasions. An athletic user who is concerned about artificial nails getting broke can remove her artificial nails for a sporting event. One advantage of a plastic injected artificial nail is that it already has a high gloss that does not have to be polished; therefore nail polish cannot be chipped from the artificial nail. This will reduce maintenance visits to the nail tech whereby saving the user time. Broken or lost nails are easily replaced, by carrying an identical spare.

A customer's visit to their nail tech will be less time consuming with less chemicals. The base and the nail only need be filed and buffed to fit the natural cuticle, and a compatible adhesive applied to secure the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and for further details and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken into conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the artificial nail in perspective view with the cuticle end closest to the viewer.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the base with the fingertip end closest to the viewer.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cut away of the artificial nail and the base snapped together and illustrating how the artificial nail and the base conform or mold together.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section side view of the artificial nail and the base snapped together. This view illustrates the proximity of the artificial nail to the base.

FIG. 5. illustrates a two-step process, where the base is affixed to the natural nail, and the artificial nail is slid and snapped into the base.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross section of the fingertip end displaying the nail locked into the base.

FIG. 7 illustrates the natural nail the base and the artificial nail in relation to each other and is an expanded view of FIG. 5.

DETAIL OF DRAWINGS

The present invention relates to a new process of applying artificial fingernails that are easily removable and replaceable and overcomes many disadvantages of prior art. The application of artificial nails has always been a process of applying artificial nails directly to the natural nail. The processes have changed somewhat and improvements have been made, however, these improvements continue to attach the artificial nail to the natural nail.

In the best mode the present invention will be attached using an anchor device called a base, to the natural nail. The base remains affixed to the natural nail and a compatible artificial nail is snapped to the base allowing the user to remove and replace the compatible artificial nail in a matter of minutes.

Preferred Embodiments

Referring to FIG. 1, the artificial nail 10 is shown in perspective view with the cuticle end 18 closest to the viewer. The fingertip end 17 is farther away from the viewer. The artificial nail 10 has a uniform shape that can be customized to fit an individual's natural nail. The artificial nail 10 will be manufactured using plastic injection i.e., abs plastic, nylon, tenite acetate, vinyl acetate, polycarbonates, etc. using molding techniques known to the art, and will be available in a number of sizes to comply with different sized natural nails. The artificial nail 10 will consist of a solid color and a solid material, therefore it will not need to be polished; as a result nail polish and nail polish remover fumes will be reduced. Replacing the nail from one color to the next, or from one design to the next, or one element to the next, is simple and easy because it is removable and replaceable. The artificial nail 10 consists of a pin 12 and a tab 11. The pin 12 is flared on the end that is not attached to the artificial nail 10. The tab 11 is recessed below the top of the artificial nail 10. The fingernail edge 21 is discussed in more detail in paragraph 4 of this section.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base 13 with the fingertip end 17 closest to the viewer. The base 13 has a uniform shape that can be customized to fit an individual's natural nail. The base 13 will be manufactured using plastic injection and will be available in a number of sizes to comply with different sized natural nails. The base 13 will consist of a solid color and a solid material, therefore it will not need to be polished; as a result nail polish and nail polish remover fumes will be reduced. The sizes of the base 13 will be compatible with the sizes of the artificial nail, whereby each base 13 will have a matching artificial nail 10. The base 13 consists of the body 20, a crown 16, a hole 14, and a pin receiver 15. The crown 16 has a sleeve 19. The base 13 is affixed to the natural nail with a compatible adhesive. The crown 16 at the cuticle end 18 can be filed to match the shape of the cuticle. The crown 16 is solid material around the outside edge, where the crown 16 butts up to the natural nail cuticle. This allows the crown 16 to be filed on the outside edges in order to match the shape of the natural cuticle without cutting into the sleeve 19.

FIG. 3 is a cut away of the artificial nail 10 and the base 13 snapped together and illustrating their proximity. The tab 11 is shown in place and inserted into the sleeve 19. The solid part 23 of the crown 16 is also illustrated which illustrates how the crown 16 can be filed on the outside edges to conform to the natural nail's cuticle. The body 20, of the base 13, is displayed with its relationship to the pin 12 locked into the hole 14 of the base 13.

FIG. 4 is a cross section side view of the artificial nail 10 and the base 13 snapped together. This view illustrates the proximity of the artificial nail 10 to the base 13. This view illustrates the position of the pin 12 in relation to the base 13 and the tab 11 in relation to the sleeve 19.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrates a two-step process, whereby the base 13 is affixed to the natural nail. As the artificial nail 10, slides on the base 13, the tab 11 slides into the sleeve 19, and the pin 12 snaps into the hole 14. FIG. 6 illustrates a cross section from the fingertip end of the artificial nail 10, the base 13, and through the center of the pin 12.

Operation

Referring now to FIGS. 1-7 in the process of application, the base 13 and the artificial nail 10 are snapped together. The person applying the base 13 and the artificial nail 10 will choose a base 13 and an artificial nail 10 that is slightly larger than the natural cuticle. The outside of the crown 16 and the sides of the artificial nail 10 are filed down to fit, and comply with the natural cuticle. Next the areas that have been filed are buffed to their original shine. The base 13 is separated from the natural nail 10 and affixed to the natural nail. The artificial nail 10 slides toward the nail cuticle and the crown 16 with the tab 11 leading. The crown 16 has a sleeve 19 that receives the tab 11 of the artificial nail 10; the pin receiver 15 simultaneously receives the pin 12 of the artificial nail 10. The narrow part of the pin receiver 15 is slightly narrower than the diameter of the pin 12, which causes the pin 12 to snap into, and lock into, the hole 14. The flared end of the pin 12 is larger in diameter than the hole 14 and locks the artificial nail 10 to the base 13 and stops the artificial nail 10 from lifting from the base 13.

The base 13 can be made from material that has memory and forgiveness because the pin 12 is slightly larger than the throat of the pin receiver 15 that receives the pin 12. The flared end of the pin 12 is larger than the hole 14, so that the nail 10 cannot be pulled up and out of the hole 14, as to stop the pin 12 from being pulled out of the hole 14. The pin 12 is flared on the bottom, or the end that is not affixed to the artificial nail 10. The crown 16 of the base 13 is the only part of the base 13 that is exposed after the artificial nail 10 is in place. The crown 16 need not be polished because it will be manufactured with a glossy plastic. The crown 16 may be polished with nail polish to change colors. The crown edge 22 butts up to, and conforms to, the fingernail edge 21 which allows the artificial nail 10 to have a continuous flow, and gives the appearance that the artificial nail 10 and the crown 16 are one continuous unit. The base 13 will be made of a material that can be filed and buffed back to its original gloss.

Variations of the current invention include but are not limited to; the artificial nail 10 and the base 13 can be manufactured using numerous materials such as all types of plastics, acrylics, abs plastics, vinyl, glass, gold, silver, etc. The artificial nail 10 and the base 13 can be polished with nail polish if desired, however one major advantage of the artificial nail 10 and the base 13 is that it need not be polished with nail polish. Artificial nails 10, and bases 13 can be manufactured using neutral colors specifically for polishing or nail art enthusiasts. Alternative bases that are as simple as the likeness of the closing device of the female plastic strip of a ZIPLOC® bag attached to the natural nail, with the corresponding likeness of the closing device of the male plastic strip of a ZIPLOC® bag on the underneath side of the artificial nail allowing the artificial nail to slide onto and lock onto the natural nail. Another base may have a removable crown to enable different colored crowns to match the color of the artificial nail. Another base may have an adjustable crown that can be moved toward the cuticle as the natural nail grows out, and a corresponding adjustable artificial nail that can also be moved toward the cuticle as the natural nail grows out. Alternative methods to lock the artificial nail to the base may be used. Small screws may be used to attach more expensive nails to the base. Another base may have a pin that is flared on the end and protrudes upward from the natural nail; the corresponding artificial nail could have a slotted hole whereby the pin on the base is pushed through the hole on the artificial nail. The artificial nail is then pushed toward the cuticle allowing the pin on the base to slide into the slot on the artificial nail. The flair on the pin is larger in diameter than the slot on the artificial nail; next, a decorative ornament that has a slotted hole on the underneath side, slides over the protruding pin and locks the artificial nail into place and hides the protruding pin. 

1. An artificial fingernail application means, comprising a base and an artificial nail, whereby, said base is affixed to a person's natural nail and said artificial nail is attached to said base.
 2. The base of claim 1 may comprise of many shapes, sizes, elements, and, different attachment means, wherein the artificial nail of claim 1 is compatible with said different attachment means, and said artificial nail may comprise many shapes, elements, and, sizes, as to be compatible with said base.
 3. A process whereby said base and said artificial nail of claim 1 are snapped together, conforming to one another, wherein the two embodiments become one, whereby giving the appearance of one artificial nail.
 4. A process whereby said base and said artificial nail of claim 1 are attached, conforming to one another, wherein the two embodiments become one, whereby giving the appearance of one artificial nail.
 5. A process whereby said base of claim 1 is fabricated to conform to, and attached to, said natural nail of claim
 1. 6. A process whereby said base of claim 1 is fabricated to conform to, and affixed to, said natural nail of claim 1 with an adhesive means.
 7. A process whereby said artificial nail of claim 1 is fabricated to conform to, and attached to said base of claim
 1. 8. A process whereby said artificial nail of claim 1 is fabricated to conform to, and attached to said base of claim 1, whereby said artificial nail is removable.
 9. A process whereby said artificial nail of claim 1 is easily removed, and easily replaced, with another compatible artificial nail. 